Bangladesh has urged the Saarc member states to work together to create an atmosphere of “peace and tranquility” in the Saarc region saying without mutual trust and confidence economic progress will remain missing.
“No economic progress can be made in the region without mutual trust and confidence which is an essential pre-requisite to a meaningful and long lasting relationship,” State Minister for Finance MA Mannan told Saarc Finance Ministers’ meeting in Islamabad on Friday.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the daylong meeting with Federal Minister for Finance of Pakistan Senator Ishaq Dar in the chair.
The other members of the Bangladesh delegation included High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Pakistan Tarik Ahsan, Joint Secretary of the Finance Division Mohammad Yousuf, Director General (Saarc and Bimstec) of the Ministry of Foreign Affaires Tareq Ahmed, Counsellor (Political) of Bangladesh High Commission Md Najmul Huda, Assistant Private Secretary to the State Minister for Finance Mohammad Abul Kalam and Senior Assistant Secretary of Finance Division Fawzia Rahman.
Earlier, the State Minister along with other heads of delegations to the 8th Saarc Finance Ministers’ meeting jointly met Nawaz Sharif at his office in Islamabad, a senior official told UNB.
The State Minister urged all member states for early finalisation of schedules of specific commitments under SATIS, the Draft Text of the Saarc Agreement on Promotion and Protection of Investment, and Draft Saarc Agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters.
“We need to liberalise trade further under Safta, ensure early signing of regional connectivity agreement, carry out harmonisation of customs procedures and documentations to move the regional integration process further,” he said.
